The average retirement age in the Netherlands is almost 66 years, with the age increasing by three months since 2022. The average age of the 86.000 workers who retired in 2023 was 65 years and 11 months, according to data from Statistics Netherlands (CBS).

Dutch state pension age increases, consequently increasing retirement age

The main reason that people are choosing to retire later is because the Dutch state pension age is continuing to increase as the life expectancy in the Netherlands rises. At present, the age at which residents can claim state pension from the age of 67, which will rise to 67 years and three months in the year 2028. 

In 2023, 74 percent of people retiring in the Netherlands were aged 65 years old or older, which was unheard of even a decade ago. In 2013, the number of over-65s retiring was just 43 percent, and two decades ago in 2003, just 14 percent of retirees were over the age of 65. “At that time, people could still make use of early retirement schemes, which were largely stopped after 2006,” the CBS said. 

The number of retirees climbed sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic

Many more people chose to retire during the peak years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of those who were close to retirement age at that time took many of the lockdowns and work-from-home orders as an opportunity to retire a little early if they could afford it. While this continued throughout 2020 and 2021, figures stabilised in 2022 and 2023. 

Two decades ago, almost three-quarters of retiring employees were younger than 62, compared to less than 6 percent in 2023. Due to population growth, the share of retirees among the total population decreased slightly to 18,3 percent in 2023.